OKR (Objectives and Key Results)
OKRs are a goal-setting framework that pairs one qualitative objective with three-to-five measurable key results, typically run on a quarterly or wave-based cycle.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework that pairs a qualitative, inspirational objective with three to five quantitative key results that prove progress toward it. The objective answers "what are we trying to achieve?" The key results answer "how will we know we did?" Andy Grove introduced OKRs at Intel in the 1970s; John Doerr brought them to Google in 1999, and they have since become a default operating system for goal alignment in technology companies. Modern OKR practice runs cycles of four to twelve weeks rather than rigid quarters, scores key results on a 0.0–1.0 confidence scale, and treats 0.7 as a healthy target — anything consistently scoring 1.0 is a sign that the team is sandbagging.
OKRs work best when objectives cascade across organizational levels — company → team → individual — so every contributor can trace how their work supports a strategic goal. They fail when treated as a performance review rubric, when key results measure activity (e.g. "publish 12 blog posts") instead of outcome (e.g. "grow organic traffic by 25%"), or when leadership sets them top-down without team input.
How this connects to Mistvine
Mistvine runs OKRs in customizable Waves rather than fixed quarters, with weekly anonymous sentiment voting on each objective so progress reflects how the team actually feels, not just what the dashboard says.